Grooming: Clipping dogs claws

If your dogs claws are too long it can cause them pain and it can be dangerous as their claws are likely to get caught on things or in things. If you are worried about clipping your dog’s nails, then follow our step by step instruction to make sure you do it safely without hurting your pet.

Firstly, you will need a pair of dog clippers, which must be sharp, a file and possibly tissues with a special treatment such as styptic powder.

Make sure your dog is calm before you begin and ensure that this calm atmosphere remains during this process.

Many people don’t know that inside a claw there is a blood vessel called the quick (as seen in the image). Therefore when you are cutting your dogs nails, just cut a little bit at a time, at a diagonal.

If the nail is brittle and breaks, you can use your file to tidy it up and make sure it does not bother your dog.

You will know if you cut the quick, as it will start bleeding. Don’t panic; just apply pressure carefully with a tissue until it stops bleeding. If you have a product like styptic powder, use this to help stop the bleeding. If you are worried about infection, contact your vet.

You need to cut your dog’s claws regularly because the quick will move with the nail – the longer the nail is, the longer the quick. In order to change this you will need to cut your dog’s nails little by little. Start with a small amount one week, then wait for a couple of weeks and repeat until they are the right length.